Esther 1:1-8 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Esther 1:1-9

Which of the kings of Persia this Ahasuerus was the learned are not agreed. Mordecai is said to have been one of those that were carried captive from Jerusalem (Est. 2:5, 6), whence it should seem that this Ahasuerus was one of the first kings of that empire. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that he was that Artaxerxes who hindered the building of the temple, who is called also Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6, 7), after his great-grandfather of the Medes, Dan. 9:1. We have here an account, I. Of the vast extent of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:1

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus ,.... Who he was is not easy to say; almost all the kings of Persia are so named by one or another writer. He cannot be the Ahasuerus in Daniel 9:1 , he was Astyages, the father of Cyaxares or Darius the Mede; but this must be one who had his royal palace in Shushan, which was never the royal city of the Medes, but of the Persians only; nor does he seem to be the Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6 , who is thought to be Cambyses, the son and successor of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:2

That in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom ,.... Not only was placed upon it, but settled in it; after Xerxes had subdued Egypt, in the second year of his reign F5 Herodot. ib. (Thalia, sive, l. 3.) c. 7. , and enjoyed great peace and tranquillity: which was in Shushan the palace ; that is, the throne of his kingdom was in Shushan, the royal city of the kings of Persia; of which see Gill on Nehemiah 1:1 , Daniel 8:2 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:3

In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his princes, and his servants ,.... The nobles and officers in his court; on what account this was cannot be said with certainty, whether the first day of it was his birthday, or the day of his coming to the throne, on which day Xerxes used to make a feast annually, as Herodotus relates F6 lb. (Herodot.) Calliope, sive, l. 9. c. 109. : the power of Persia and Media ; the mighty men therein, the potentates thereof; or the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:4

When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom ,.... Xerxes was the fourth king of the Persian monarchy, and was "far richer than all" that went before him, all their riches coming into his hands, Daniel 11:2 , and now that prophecy began to be fulfilled, "that by his strength, through his riches, he should stir up all against the realm of Grecia"; which he began to do in the third year of his reign, and for which these his nobles might be called together, as to have their advice, so to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:5

And when these days were ended ,.... The one hundred and eighty, in which the nobles, princes, and great men of the kingdom were feasted: the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small ; of every age, rank, state and condition of life; these were the common people, whether inhabitants of the city or country people there on business, whether natives or foreigners; according to the Targum, there were Israelites there, but not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:6

Where were white, green, and blue hangings ,.... Or curtains of fine linen, as the Targum, which were of these several colours; the first letter of the word for "white" is larger than usual, to denote the exceeding whiteness of them. The next word is "carpas", which Ben Melech observes is a dyed colour, said to be green. Pausanias F17 Attica, sive, l. 1. p. 48. makes mention of Carpasian linen, and which may be here meant; the last word used signifies blue, sky coloured, or hyacinth: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:7

They gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being divers one from another ,.... In the pattern and workmanship of them, though of the same metal, which diversity made the festival the more grand; earthen cups, with the Persians, were reckoned very mean; when a king would disgrace a man, he obliged him to use earthen cups F4 Ctesias in Athenaei Deipnosoph. l. 11. . The Targum represents these vessels to be the golden vessels of the temple at Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar carried... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:8

And the drinking was according to the law, none did compel ,.... According to the law Ahasuerus gave to his officers next mentioned, which was not to oblige any man to drink more than he chose; the Targum is,`according to the custom of his body;'that is, as a man is able to bear it, so they drank: some F6 Vid. Drusium in loc. read it, "the drinking according to the law, let none exact"; or require it to be, according to the custom then in use in Persia; for they were degenerated from... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Esther 1:1

Now it came to pass - The Ahasuerus of the Romans, the Artaxerxes of the Greeks and Ardsheer of the Persians, are the same. Some think that this Ahasuerus was Darius, the son of Hystaspes; but Prideaux and others maintain that he was Artaxerxes Longimanus. Reigned from India even unto Ethiopia - This is nearly the same account that is given by Xenophon. How great and glorious the kingdom of Cyrus was beyond all the kingdoms of Asia, was evident from this: Ὡρισθῃ μεν... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Esther 1:1-9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Esther 1:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Esther 1:1

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